Available data indicates that Nigeria is ranked 7th among 57 countries classified as facing a critical shortage of health workers, the country has a shortage of 144,000 health workers. Presently, the country only has 240,000 nurses and midwives but needs about 800,000 nurses and midwives to meet up with its teeming population of over 200 million people.
Though the traditional form of nursing and midwifery have existed even before the arrival of the colonialists. Formal and modern nursing was introduced by the colonial masters. The first nursing home in Nigeria was established in Jericho, Ibadan by the British colonial government.
Nursing was later fully established in Nigeria when missionaries established mission homes, Dispensaries e.t.c. and commenced training of nurses in Nigeria, and in 1949, the School of Nursing at Eleyele, Ibadan was established.
In 1949, the Nursing Council of Nigeria was established to set standards for nursing in Nigeria. ln 1952, the University College Hospital Ibadan started training nurses as well.
Today, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), is the sole governing body that regulates all cadres of nurses and midwives in Nigeria. It was established by government decree in 1979 and re-established as a parastatal by the government of Nigeria by Act Cap. No143 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
If you are here, you may be considering a nursing degree. But before you take the dive into this in-demand field, you really want to delve into the reasons behind your drive. Why study nursing? Is a nursing degree truly worth it?
What are the reasons to pursue a nursing career?
These are all essential questions to ask. Here are the top five reasons why studying nursing is such a significant choice for aspiring healthcare professionals today.
Perhaps the most practical reason to study nursing at a postsecondary level is the fact that it is required. If you want to become a registered nurse today, you must first pursue formal education in nursing. You must then become licensed to work.
A postsecondary nursing education will undoubtedly serve as your gateway to a long-term, successful career in healthcare. In any nursing program you choose, you will have the opportunity to study sciences like anatomy, physiology, microbiology, psychology, chemistry, and sociology. You will also be offered hands-on, in-field experience through supervised clinical training.
Nursing school teaches a range of clinical, technical, and interpersonal skills that can be applied to any facet of healthcare they include;
Communication skills: Nurses must know how to collaborate with doctors, other nurses, and medical staff in order to provide the best possible patient care. They must also know how to communicate effectively with patients and explain instructions (such as how to take a medication) clearly. They must also have the ability to speak compassionately and empathetically with patients and their families who feel vulnerable or afraid.
Critical-thinking skills: Nurses must know how to think, act, and solve problems under pressure. They must know how to assess the health conditions and progress of their patients, as well as how to take corrective action when it is needed.
Organizational skills: Nurses work with multiple patients with many different health needs. They must know how to manage several patients and conditions at once, ensuring that patients are tended to appropriately, getting the correct treatments and medicines at the right time.
Technical skills: On a daily basis, nurses are working with advanced medical equipment, as well as systems that hold patient information. They must, therefore, possess the technical training and skills needed to monitor and manage these various technologies.
Clinical skills: Nurses are clinicians – they administer medications and treatments, perform diagnostic tests and procedures, operate medical equipment, and observe patients and health conditions regularly as part of their jobs. They must know how to do everything that pertains to the clinical aspects of their career, from taking blood to analyzing it in the lab, from performing vital sign tests and EKGs to monitoring critical conditions. These skills are most often learned through hands-on, practical training in clinical career settings (such as local hospitals) during nursing school. ALSO READ: Types of Nursing Specialties In Nigeria
How Many Years To Study Nursing In Nigeria
There are two pathways to becoming a nurse in Nigeria either by enrolling in a school of nursing and midwifery or by enrolling in a conventional university that offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
In Nigeria, most BSN programs take about four years to complete, while the school of nursing and midwifery programs can take two or three years in Nigeria. Students that complete the BSN program are required to undergo an additional one-year mandatory internship program before they are licensed to practice nursing in the country.
Depending on the type of registered nurse you’d like to become, you should consider whether an RN vs BSN degree is right for you. You will need either an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in nursing to become an RN, there are also online nursing programs in Nigeria therefore you can begin working in the field much sooner than other medical professions. As a registered nurse, you have many career opportunities to work in different specialties depending on your interests.
Registered nurses have a multi-dimensional job, working on a medical team and directly with patients, performing lab work and researching treatment methods, consulting families, and setting up long-term patient care plans. For this reason, nurses must possess a multitude of skills to manage their day-to-day duties. ALSO READ: Full List Of Accredited School of Nursing in Nigeria
